https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-control-eastern-tent-caterpillars-1968393Eastern tent caterpillars,
Malacosoma americanum, build unsightly silk tents in cherry, apple, and other landscape trees during early spring. The caterpillars feed on leaves of these host trees and may cause significant defoliation if present in large numbers. They can also be a nuisance as they tend to wander when they're ready to pupate, making themselves at home on houses and decks.
Make Sure You've Really Got Tent Caterpillars
First, be sure what you have are eastern
tent caterpillars and not another similar pest. Eastern tent caterpillars appear in early spring and build their tents in the crotches of tree branches. As their name suggests,
fall webworms also build tents but theirs are located at the ends of branches, forming an envelope around the foliage. Some people
confuse eastern tent caterpillars with
gypsy moth larvae but gypsy moths do not construct tents and they usually appear a little later in spring than tent caterpillars.
Prevention and Manual Controls for Tent Caterpillars
If you have a few caterpillar tents in an apple or cherry tree, don't panic. Eastern tent caterpillars rarely infest ornamental trees in large enough numbers to kill landscape plants. Because they appear in early spring and complete their
life cycle by summer, most of your host trees will have time to produce more leaves after initial defoliation. Pest control may not be necessary at all, however, if the infestation is overwhelming—or you just can't stand the sight of caterpillar tents in your trees—there are some things you can do to deter the invasion.
To prevent tent caterpillars, the best defense can be a good offense. In the autumn, after the leaves have fallen, scout the branches of host trees for egg masses. Prune out any you find, or scrape them from the branches and destroy them.
this is the one I find in cherry trees.
